reason of strong motions in the flesh he would not repent yet he cannot resist this law of his mind he must performe it when the Lord saith in his word repent and seeke my face hee this poor child of God replies Thy face Lord wil I seek the very same lesson that he is taught outvvardly by the vvord he is taught inwardly by the annointing spirit yea it is even his meat and drink to do the wil of God 2. Repentance in the hypocrite proceeds from a servile fear he being begotten under a covenant of works is through fear of death subject unto bondage all his life long and though he look to be saved by faith and repentance being instructed out of the Gospel yet he dares not expect grace and pardon any further then he sees himself work for he looks to be saved though not altogether yet as it were by the works of the Lavv thinking that mercy and pardon must needs follovv his vvorks and this is that which makes him take a great deal of pains in the Church yea he wil bear the burden and heat of the day and performe abundance of hypocriticall service unto the Lord yea til he troubles the Lord therewith and makes him weary thereof But the child of God is begotten under a Covenant of grace and hath not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of Adoption to cry unto God Abba Father and being delivered serves God without fear in holinesse and righteousness all his dayes he knows very wel that sin cannot damn him being delivered out of the hands of his enemies by the blood of Christ And hence though God break him in the place of Dragons and cover him with the shadow of death yet wil he not forget God nor deal falsely in his Covenant His repentance in that sin cannot damn him is not arbitrary he is bound to it by the Covenant of grace his faith works by love the love of Christ constrains him many waters cannot quench this love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned the more sin the Lord hath forgiven him the more he loves God and repents mourns and weeps bitterly because of sin as it is an injurious offence against so merciful a Father instance Peter and Mary Magdalene who thought nothing too dear for a Christ from whom they had received a free and ful discharge from all their sins and provocations the hypocrite repents from a principle of slavish feare but the poore believer from a principle of a child-like love 3. An hypocrite never turnes to the Lord with his whole heart as the Lord requires for he is double minded True it is he may walk according to the dictate of his conscience as far as he is inlightned by the word of God leading a blamelesse life and may doe that which he does out of the integrity of his heart with Abimilech he perswades himselfe he is in the right when in truth he is farre wrong and because he received not the love of the truth that he might be saved the Lord gives him up to strong delusions to believe a lie that he might be damned who believes not the truth He may indeed seemingly turne unto the Lord in respect of many glorious actions but he hath not a new heart nor a renewing Spirit within him and if that action that as he thinks he doth most uprightly were put into an Evangelical frame he would most exceedingly haâ—e it because the carnal mind is at enmity against God for it is noâ— subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be his best duties proceed but from flesh and nature and from the old man which never turn'd to God and as for that which should give a spiritual being to those actions namely faith in Christ and the Spirit of grace these he hates from his heart But the child of God hath a new heart and a new Spirit he is a new creature all things are become new and although the flesh lusteth against the Spirit yet this new creature turneth wholly unto God and is all for God such a man seeks the Lord with his whole heart and all that is within him praises the Lords holy name 4. The hypocrite in his repentance and all his performances aimes at himselfe he doth them for corn wine and oyle when he fasts and mourns he doth it for himselfe and not unto the Lord the salvation of his soul is his utmost end But the child of God the believer doth all for Gods glory he desires the Salvation of his soul but he hath a further end hereby the Lord manifests his truth and mercy and gets himselfe a name Saith blessed David save me for thy mercies sake for thy Names sake and when he repents and confesses his sinne it is principally that he may give glory unto God and in all his actions terminates not in himself but doth them to the end that Christ may be magnified and esteemed all in all Sixteene precious and soul establishing considerations deduced from the Covenant of Grace The new Covenant of grace is held forth principally in these places of Scripture viz. 8. Heb. 10. Jer. 31. 31 33 34. 36. Ezek 25 26 27 29 31. Ezek. 16. 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 59 60 63 Jer. 32. 40. Jer. 33. 20 Heb. 6. 17 18. Heb. 12. 24. Heb. 13. 20. Mic. 7. 20. Psal 89. 28. 31 32 33 34. 1. Consideration His Covenant is a free Covenant being the offspring of the free love meer grace and rich mercy of God whereby he is pleased to make a blessed agreement with his Sonne Christ to save poore lost man yea the worst most vile despicable and helpless creatures in the world and of this sort of mankind doth God usually please to take into covenant with himself for he doth not as many would insinuate therfore take men into this covenant because they believe and are holy but that they might have faith and be holy in this covenant he promises holiness and through it conveys holinesse unto men as for example the Idolatrous Ephesians the profane Corinthians the vile Publicans the filthy Harlots yea the poore thiefe even at the last hour when he could neither serve nor glorifie God so much as one hour on earth and these when they were at the highest of their provocations and when no eye pityed them yea when their own eyes pittyed them not then was the time wherein the Lord out of the riches of his grace and soule astonishing love sware unto them and entred into covenant with them and this was likewise the time vvherein they became his as in that pregnant place of Scripture vvorthy to be vvritten in indelible characters of Gold upon the memory of
God and his motive to make and enter into this covenant was his everlasting love the righteousnesse upon which it is established is an everlasting Righteousnesse and all the mercies and blessings thereof are everlasting as everlasting pardon for I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and Iniquities will I remember no more Everlasting kindnesse In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer everlasting mercy for the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Everlasting joy and the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with Songs and everlasting joy upon their heads c. Everlasting consolation Now our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe and God even our Father who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation c. and likewise everlasting life For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life God hath ordained men unto eternal life before they believe and faith is a fruit of the spirit of Christ and of consequence we must be in Christ before we can bring forth fruit that whosoever believeth on him should not perish c. This and such like expressions are to be considered as declarations of the qualification of such as are saved not that faith gives us any interest in Christ but manifests unto us that he who hath loved us with an everlasting love hath by his Spirit come into our hearts and created faith there and shewed forth this love unto us When God is said to be in Covenant with a Soule A soule is then properly actually or expressy in Covenant with God when God hath come to it in the promise and then when it feels it self under the power of the promise it begins only to know it is in Covenant and yet to obey as if it were but to enter into that covenant which God hath made with it in Christ before it could do any thing so as they that believe doe rather feele themselves in that covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance c. The effect of this Covenant The Lord in and through this covenant brings a poore creature to see and seeing to admire the superabundant riches of his free grace and love and humbly and thankfully to embrace the same and the heart thus wrought upon vehemently desires that such carriage and kindness of its God might not slip out of mind but that the consideration of this soul-ravishing heart-melting and astonishing grace and loving kindnesse might through the Spirit of the Mediatour of this covenant carry him forth stedfastly to believe in dearly to love chearfully to obey and dutifully to honour and serve the God of this mercy in soule body and spirit so long as the Sun and Moon endure and for ever in a word the soul is carried forth out of selfe unto God and in God alone finds rest and satisfaction Divers inviting Characters and soul-winning encouragements of faith Faith is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise not from any thing the soule sees or feels in it selfe but from something it apprehends in God in his word faith sometimes is attended with much strife and strugling for Satan wil say to the soule it is in vain to believe Christ saith come I will ease thee and faith sweetly perswades the heart to rest upon the ability and fidelity of God in his free promise Faith is an emptying grace yea it is its property to empty the soule and keep it empty of selfe confidence and thereby it makes way for receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ even as the poor widows empty vessels for the receiving of the oyl out of the cruse whereas the fulnesse of the vessel caused the stay Yea it implies an emptinesse of selfe that we may be filled with him out of whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace Faith is a believing that Jesus Christ is the Christ which implies a seeing and knowing that all is in Christ for life and salvation and so to rest upon him for it he that thus believs in Christ is brought over by Christ unto Christ and so centered upon him that he wil never go from him My soule wait thou on God for my expectation is from him And in those souls who enjoy this precious faith old things are done away and they are new creatures there is a light set up in the soul and the soul sees and knowes all is by Christ and that there is no way or meanes of life but by him and thereupon closes with him and rests upon him Faith looks unto what God saith rests upon it and sets to its seale that God is true Faith doth not lay hold on Christ to fetch Justification from him till Christ hath first laid hold on us and imputed his righteousness unto us and by his Spirit in a free promise of grace declared the same unto us and then faith becomes active to receive and depend upon Christ and his everlasting righteousnesse Faith works by love and most highly prizeth Christ and his righteousnesse debases and vilifies self admires the immense and infinite riches of Gods free grace and love and engages the heart to holinesse yea to dedicate it selfe as a monument of eternal praise and thanksgiving for his inestimable goodnesse Yea that soul that is possessed of such precious faith can never in its owne eye see God high enough nor it selfe vile enough and fetches all its strength from Christ to doe all it doth There are many mistakes about faith some have thought comfort joy or ravishments of soule with God to be faith and so because they had not them have concluded they had no faith it is not mens believing but the object of faith that gives faith its denomination There are many precious souls that trust in Christ for life from an hope of mercy but this hope though the poore soul at present sees or knowes no certainty of enjoyment of what it hopes for hath a blessing intailed on it Turn ye to the strong hold ye prisoners of hope Eleven Motives to believe 1. By believing we come to know our interest in Christ and salvation by him 2. By believing we honour God he that receives his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true 3. If ye believe not surely ye shall not be established there is no true quietnesse and settlement of soule without believing thou standest by faith and fallest into sin by unbeliefe the word preached is precious and powerful yet it profited not being not mixed with faith in them that heard it 4. It s faith that
If thou beest included in and art under the promise of them thou shalt possesse them 2. Consider they may be made good to thee without thy sensible enjoyment of them there is neither faith nor hope exercised upon what we possesse to have a right in or to a thing and to possesse it are distinct They died in faith they possessed not what they believed they should enjoy Abraham believed he should have a sonne here was his faith yet did he not then possesse his sonne To make enjoyment essentiall to faith is a very great mistake wee being united and married unto Christ doe through faith by him bring forth fruit unto God yea perfect obedience imputatively and through the operation of his Spirit I have many discouragements for that I am not filled with joy and comfort and peace in believing Consider two things viz. 1. Faith may be strong when joy is absent David had faith when he had not joy Restore to me the joy of my salvation he had refused comfort before but now he came to want it 2. Such as judge their condition good because they are filled with joy build upon a sandy foundation in that they are not founded upon Christ alone If some had joy they would make it a Christ to them they would live upon it and therby abuse Christ themselves and their joy It is a mercy unto such poore creatures that they have not joy til they better know how to use it I cannot believe that I am in Christ for that I fall back into sinne Consider three things viz. 1. That no sinne can make one less beloved of God or lesse in Christ for the mercies of God are called sure mercies his love an everlasting love his covenant an everlasting covenant I am perswaded saith Paul That neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord So that to whom he is once merciful he is ever merciful whom he once loves he ever loves when he once takes poore creatures into covenant with him he is ever theirs I am the Lord I change not 2. That whom the Father loves he loves in his Son in whom he is well pleased and his Son is alwaies alike beloved of him The same yesterday to day and for ever and whom he loves in his Son he accounts as his Son he is made unto us of God righteousnesse sanctification and redemptiin so as wee being not beloved for our owne sakes nothing in us can make God love us lesse because he loves us not for our selves nor any thing in our selves but in and through his Son in whom he is wel pleased with us 3. Consider That if God should love us lesse or more as we are lesse or more sinful then he should be as man and as the Son of man and if believers stood upon these termes with God then how are these Scriptures said to be true He arose again for our Justification Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Who shall condemne There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus The foundation of God standeth sure he ever lives to make intercession for us so as God is ever the same that loves and his love is as himselfe ever the same and Christ in whom we are beloved ever the same and our righteousnesse ever the same Thy righteousnesse is of mee saith the Lord. Saith a poore drooping believer I having lyen a long time under and used the means of grace grow stil worse and worse therefore I cannot but conclude That God wil not doe me good Poore heart 1. Dost thou know Gods means and the number of them Have your ends been good and rightly placed Have you used the means in a right manner measure time and in sincerity Have you not rested in the means Have you used them in faith waiting for Gods blessing upon them The word they heard profited them not for want of faith 2. It is not good reasoning to say because God hath not as yet given me my request therefore he never wil mind what the Lord saith But ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood c. Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy They shallnot be ashamed that wait for me 3. Consider that it is just with God to blast the means yea it is a mercy to blast it that yet still using them we might look more unto Christ for his blessing upon them and to be all unto us 4. Consider If thou hast a wil that Christ should save thee and rule in thee and over thee he that hath begun this good work in thee wil perfect the same Thou shalt one day know that thy sins are pardoned and not imputed unto thee and subdued in thee 5. Consider God may have mercy for thee though thou know it not for mens sins are first forgiven before they can know it believe it or be assured of it thy sins may be pardoned though thou knowest it not faith believes the pardon of sinne but our believing neither pardons nor procures the pardon of any sin but faith brings into the soule the apprehension of the pardon of those sins which were pardoned before though not by us known so to be til then I fear that my motions Godward doe flow from a principle of self-love and not from pure love unto the Lord Jesus Consider though they do not yet the Lord Jesus promised to his people Israel of old who were incompassed with as many Aggravations of sinnes and infirmities as thou that he would love them freely and as he loved his people Israel of old so he wil love thee freely and betroth thee unto himselfe in loving kindnesse and mercyes he hath also promised and his faithfulnesse is engaged I will circumcise thy heart saith he and thou shalt love mee he wil give thee an heart-breaking sight and sense of the free pardon of all thy sins through the spirits manifestation of the riches of his superabundant grace and love and thy apprehension thereof through faith ingages thy heart and constrains thee to love him again Wee love him because he loved us first Saith a poore deserted soule I cannot believe that God wil pardon my sins they being greater and heightned with many more circumstances of aggravation then the sins of others are This is the effect of thy unbeliefe and of thy low and finite thoughts of God his grace and mercy whereas they are infinite Oh measure not the Lord by thy selfe but remember that hee whose Character is The Lord gracious and merciful c. Hee doth great things
Soule-Reviving Influences Of the Sun of RIGHTEOUSNESSE Or Some bright beames of Light and Love sparkling from Christ upon the darke and drooping hearts of sin-weakned and clouded Believers even while we are in this Solitary wildernesse not yet arrived at the Land of Spirituall Canaan but taking a turne in the darke and dampe valley of the shadow of death With severall Evangelicall and heart-winning incouragements to the life of faith in the Sonne of God notwithstanding our manifold weaknesses and hainous provocations yea to the keeping up of the same comfort hope confidence and joy in him in the sadest straights of the sorest darknesse In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 54. 8. For Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God though their Land was filled with sinne against the holy one of Israel Jer. 51. 5. I cryed in mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voyce Jonah 2. 2. LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1654. The Preface To all the truly faithful the Sons and Daughters of the most High God as wel those under the form of Presbytery as those under other administrations Grace be multiplied and peace from God our Father and the Lord Iesus Christ our Head and Hope Precious Hearts EVER since any of the light and glory of Christ dawned upon us since first we saw that morning star of righteousnesse any of the brightnesse of the glory thereof in those hearts of ours which once lived in the coasts of Zebulun and Naphtali in the Region and shadow of death our life hath remained hid with Christ in God and is that sparke of glory which hath alwaies attracted the most venemous envies of those men who make the flesh their residence were you lower as Saints you should be higher as creatures The world indeed may outrunne you and come first to the Meridian altitude of their glory but surely in the end the inheritance shall be yours their first shall be last and your last first your latter end shall in brightnesse out-shine your beginning And in the meane time also your God wil not leave you Fatherlesse in this solitary desert his left hand is under your head and his right hand embraces you Heaven rains Mannah in the wildernesse The Lord who is your Husband and your Redeemer the Mighty one of Jacob though he may seeme as with Jacob to wrestle with you wil be as the dew unto you the Rocks shall give water in the heat of drought in the wildernesse shall waters break out and streames in the Desert The possession that he hath in you shal for ever entitle you A spring shut up and a fountaine sealed I know nothing you have that is long lived but Jesus Christ earth more grosly carnal and heaven more refinedly carnal shal passe away even the kingdome of heaven so farre as it is made up of forms and administrations shall wither and die but the kingdom of God within you shall remain as Mount Sion which shall never be shaken Forget not therefore your resting place which is the Lord Jesus who will come and lead you with his sweet spices and the savor of his oyntment then shal not the consideration that he hath laid his hand upon any of your enjoyments below himselfe have an uncomly influence upon you Expect not a bed of rest in the barren wildernesse of your owne performances righteousnesses since God hath appointed spiritual Canaan to be your rest and in the midst of sinne and miserie pray in faith without wavering that the Lord Jesus would by his Spirit lead you unto that rock which is infinitely higher then selfe and fix your eie of faith upon that brazen Serpent the Lord Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption one vision of whose love wil bid defiance to the stoutest of our lusts and to all the powers of darknesse combined therewith yea to Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places and in an encounter wil more then conquer them all so that our David come into the field and engage against them for us And you who have taken forth so many Lessons in the Schoole of Christ as well as the poore Lambs of his fold for whose sakes chiefly the insuing Treatise is made publick are the objects of Satans rancor he either tempts us to sinne and that will cause us to doubt or else he tempts us to doubt and that will cause us to sinne In the treatise are held forth some of the dewes of Hermon hill descending upon the parched hearts and spirits of poore sin-weakned believers with several evangelicall and experimental directions for quieting and establishing a poore soule upon the Rock of ages the Lord Jesus in the apprehension and assurance of his rich grace and free love and in the life of faith in him notwithstanding it s owne weaknesses corruptions and hainous provocations yea for keeping up the same comfort hope joy and confidence in God at all times with several reasons and inducements thereunto and to exult and triumph in God and the soul-astonishing riches of his grace making its boast of him all the day long who wil lead us forth with perfect boldnesse not only to looke in the face of but to trample upon the most terrible of our adversaries sin our own legal righteousnesse death Satan and hell it selfe through the great and glorious conquest of our captaine who hath led captivity captive in whom God alwaies beholds us and in whose righteousnesse we shall be found being not only delivered from this present evil world but made freely meet to be partakeâ—s of the inheritance of the Saints in light And surely the bright and glorious appearance of God in you and the high Spirit of faith and prayer which hee hath richly powred forth upon divers of you is so far from leading those to repentance who wondring after the beast are bewitched by her and drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornications that it makes them to gnaw their tongues for paine and blaspheme the God of heaven The Prince of darknesse can indeed do no lesse then repine to see a stronger then himselfe bind him and release many of his captives And hereupon he with the greater violence bestirrs himselfe in setting the Foxes and young Cubs to destroy the Vines and tender grapes and endeavours with might and main to let out the wild boare out of the wood and the wilde beasts of the field into the Vineyard which the Lords right hand hath planted The Mysterie of iniquity is now grown more mysterious and deceiving then ever
though in every new change and form mysterious enough to cozen all the unbelieving world though never so wise and learned The man of sinne seeks with all subtilty to set up that in forme and flesh and so preserve his kingdome which God is doing in Spirit and power It is the form of Religion that is the shelter and thicket wherein this deceiver and his false Prophets lurke concealed but yet shall never prevaile to deceive the chosen faithful and ransomed of the Lord these being redeemed from the earth shall still be found with the Lamb upon Mount Sion for that the Lord shines forth light upon them whereby through their Sonship and unction with him they doe and shall discover and overcome it It is from this unction that you know truth from errour though it be never so much reproached and errour from truth though never so much extolled and magnified by carnal and temporizing Christians Wherefore you faithful ones have great cause to keepe upon your watch inasmuch as the chief design of Antichrist is to seduce the Elect for that there are none else in the whole world that either dare or know how to oppose him but you and he well knows that if he can but prevaile with you all the world besides wil follow him headlong as the Gaderens swine ran into the Sea and were choaked You know that the National Antichristian Clergy and carnal Priests are the Sorcerers who have been so numerous that they have bewitched and deceived all Nations These are the Merchants who have made the Inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of their fornications and with whom the kings of the earth have beene and are so friendly as to commit fornication these are they who by their Jure Divino as they will have it have opposed and exalted themselves above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that they as God sit in the Temple of God shewing themselves that they are God and Lord it over Gods heritage and the consciences of his people These are the men who for their judaical hire where not sacrificed unto their idol snatched by force of the secular power have through their humane learning Academical degrees School Divinity Sacrednesse of their orders and Ecclesiastical ordination led thousands of souls hoodwinkt to destruction Such Schoole Graduates usually prove Theologi gloriae and not Theologi Crucis Divines of glory and not of the crosse and in a word may easily be perceived to be the Rulers of the darknesseâ— of this world even that part of Antichrist which he hath left lurking in this generation to oppose Christ in Spirit take heed therefore that you neither drink nor sippe of the Clergies cup lest having drunk thereof ye through the strength of their inchantments fall asleepe and be rendred unable to follow Christ further The Lord is come out of his place to rebuke the boisterous winds to breake the Cedars to darken the Sunne and Moone to shame and confound all humane Policie and power to staine the pride of all glory and to bring to contempt all that be glorious and the honourable of the earth and to take vengeance and do execution upon Babylon in order whereunto he hath stained the Lordly power and pride of those false Prophets the Prelates destroyed their Courts Canons and other abominations this design of his he is still carrying on though he may now seem to be going backwards the Sunne of Righteousnesse is never retrograde there shall not a stone be left upon a stone which shall not be thrown down shee must be wholly desolate And as before the Lord made use of the higher powers for effecting of what was then done so he wil for the residue in the fulnesse of time command his sanctified ones cal his mighty ones even them that rejocye in his Highnesse to fulfil his pleasure upon the great whore therefore you that have the Spirit of Christ within you give the Lord no rest till the Mountaine of his house be according to his own promises set up above the mountains and exalted above the hills till the new and spiritual Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven even his true spiritual Church that through faith hope and love lives out of this world and the element thereof in the kingdome of his Dear Sonne be made an eternall Excellencie and the joy of generations and until those who have afflicted it and dominiered over it be made to come humbly bending to it and lick the dust of its feete as the Lord hath promised Then shall the light and teaching of the Spirit in Scriptures which have beene forgotten and stood like a Sparrow upon the house tops desolate and forsaken become the only teaching Then shall the Lords inheritance that lie as dead and dry bones now in the vally live their nerves and bones being by the Lord knit together the spirit shall enter into them and set them upon their feete and they shal be called the valley of vision Then shall all low and carnall apprehensions of God which caused doubts and feares be done away there shall bee no night there nor clouds to hinder the intercourses of Love between God and the soule his servants shall serve him You that are spirituall know that it is also the present Designe of God to pull downe the old heavens wherein the men of the world would ascend up unto God even that old building which men for diverse hundreds of yeares have been in seting up is that hay and stubble which God by the brightnesse of his coming in Spirit is burning up Oh therefore earnestly beg of him that we may shortly see Satan troden under our feet and the Beast with the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him cast alive in the midst of their deceitfull workings into that Lake which burnes with Brimstone for evermore And that we may hear that shout of Triumph in the Spirituall Church Babylon is falne is falne and is now become an habitation of Devills and uncleane Spirits which before was the habitation of hypocrites and false Christians yet painted over with the most specious and glorious pretensions and shews of Religion and holinesse that the deceivablenesse of unrighteousness could trick up the Strumpet withall and that whatsoever hath beene captived into Babylon may be brought back and set upon Mount Sion That the redeemed of the Lord may return and being filled with the Spirit and restored to their primitive state may shine in the perfection of beauty and holinesse Then shall all Saints sing in the unity of the Spirit the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true
this quickning Spirit of Christ the two edged sword of the word preached wil prove but as Scanderbegs sword which without Scanderbegs arm was able to doe little or nothing It is through grace that men believe yet men are to use the means for in the preaching of the word God hath covenanted that his Spirit go along with and add power to the word spoken make it effectual to the enabling of the creature to obey he said unto me Son of man stand upon thy feet and the Spirit entered into me when he had spoken unto me and set me upon my feet And the dead shal hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live otherwiâ—e were it in vaine to speak unto dead men to believe and all men are by nature spiritually dead only they believe whose hearts God opens None can believe but they unto whom it is given When the soule is come to believe that Christ was made sinne for it its doubts are vanquished and the soul sweetly quieted and setled As soone as Jesus Christ by his Spirit hath convinced the soule that he is made sin for it and that it is made the Righteousnesse of God in him then do all its doubts fears and objections vanish and Christ is believed in and lived upon with thankfulnesse and joy yea such a soule by its eye of faith sees it farre better that Christ was made sin for it then if it had never sinned yea as much better as a spiritual body is better then a natural as much better as the image of the heavenly is better then the image of the earthly body yea as much better as strength is better then weaknesse and as heaven is better then earth It is faith in Christ that rids the soul of all its distempers doubts fears and discouragements we may not separate the Spirit from faith for faith is the fruit and effect of the Spirit and wee cannot rationally expect the effect without its cause And it is the want of faith that causes troubles in the soul saith Christ ye believe in God believe also in me and let not your hearts be troubled believing in Christ sweetly quiets and settles a troubled soule and those that know God wil trust him with their bodies and souls and that upon his word all that know thy name wil trust in thee yea they wil cleave unto God in his promise even then when they are in their greatest fears and most sensible of their owne vilenesse and that not without sufficient warâ—ant Trust in him at all times God is a refuge for us Selah if at all times then at the worst of times yea even then believe and hear nothing against thy believing of God in his promise Abraham the faithfull believed against hope oh believe God intends thy good Christ came to seeke and to save the lost such as are lost in their sight and sense of their owne vilenesse insufficiency and misery A Collection of divers things from whâ—nâ—e it is that many weake Believers are incompassed with so many doubts feares and discouragements together with sundry especiall meanes which they are to make use of and wherein the Lord Jesus usually quiâ—ts and 〈◊〉 a disquieted soule in the assurance of his Love Negatively the doubts feares and discouragements of weake Believers proceed not from God for his voice is peace and comfort to his people I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill Comfort yee my people saith the Lord speake yee comfortably to Jerusalem cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned You see they come not from God Nor come they from Christ he neither troubles nor discourages any it was promised concerning him that hee should speake peace Thy King cometh he shall speak peace unto the Heathen this is his worke and he doth it therefore he doth not trouble nor discourage any He is the horne of Salvation that God hath raised up for us to guide our feete in the way of peace He opens the blinde eyes He brings out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house He is that light that is sprung up unto those that sit in darknesse and in the Region and shadow of death he bindes up the broken hearted he proclaimes peace and liberty he comforts all that mourne He gives beautie for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garments of Praise for the spirit of heavinesse he was given to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blinde to set at liberty poore bruised prisoners that have been taken Captive by the Devil and the maine end of his coming is to abolish death and to bring life and Immortality to light through the Gospel this is his worke and he doth it he is gracious and pitifull hee will not quench the smoaking flax nor breake the bruised reed his voice is full of love and tendernesse his words are sweet words as Let not your hearts be troubled feare not it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Cast your care upon me I will care for you Christs voyce unto his poore people is Open to mee my sister my Love my Dove my undefiled his name is King of Salem that is King of peace It is palpably apparent that our feares and discouragements come not from Christ Nor come they from the holy Spirit of God for he is the great and most sweet Comforter he causes no discouragements but removes them all by revealing and applying unto the soule the love of God and carries the soule by faith from all discouragements unto God who is love and peace where the soule is to rest and be filled with sweet peace This is the worke of the Spirit and hence it is that he is called the Comforter he never caused the least feare or discouragement in the soule of any The consideration that our feares doubts and discouragements come not from God nor from Christ nor from the holy Spirit is sweet for then what need wee regard them yea we may slight them Affirmatively the doubts feares and discouragements of weake believers doe proceed viz. 1. From the Devill who is a malicious adversary to the Saints hee either tempts us to sinne and that will cause us to doubt or else hee tempts us to doubt and that will cause us to sinne and thus he raises doubts and feares to hinder their comfort and peace in believing he also tempts them and takes the word out of their hearts least they should believe From whence these particulars ensue 2. From our owne hearts Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil
manifests himselfe to others of our Brethren and fellow Members he rises in their Hemispheare And what though thy sinnes have eclipsed the love of thy God unto thy soule The Lord onely bids thee to acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord c. What a poore recompence is this Turne oh backsliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you c. Poore soule the love of God remaines still as sure and as great as ever and in his due time shall shine forth againe upon thy soul the thick clouds will blow over and the soule reviving light of his love will arise upon thee He will take away all iniquity and receive us graciously I thought I had true faith but since I fell into an hainous transgression I am perswaded that if I had beene the Lords he would not have left me to sin as I did This is a deplorable case indeed and the fruit of unbelief and of the want of watchfulnesse yet consider the Lord hath suffered such or as great if not greater spots to overtake his own dear children David sinned in adultery and murder Solomon sinned greatly after hee had obtained mercy and Peter denyeth Christ with an oath these examples are recorded to hold forth the glory of the riches of Gods free grace that men may be acquainted with the mirrour of his grace long sufferance and forbearance that so great sinners might not despaire and faint under their sinnes 2. To despair of the mercy of God because our sins are great were to limit God in his mercy which is to add sin unto sin and a greater sin then the former The Lord Jesus takes much pains and le ts out merciful power for the raising of sin-weakened souls and for the gathering of wandring Lambs Poor soul know this that the greatest sin a believer can commit ought not to make him mourn without hope for no sin can put him in the state of condemnation or bring him under the curse While we live here below God healeth not our sinfull nature wholly nor takes it quite away the flesh lusteth God ever looks upon his as they are in Christ and not simply as they are in themselves saith Paul I my selfe keepe the Law of God but with my flesh the Law of sin flesh and sin do the evil Consider Nehem. 9. 16 17. The Spirit also tells us in another place that he knowes our frame and remembers that we are but dust God hath in much wisdome and love left sinne in his to humble them and to exercise the fruits of the Spirit in them and that we might long to be where we shall not sinne also that we might the more dearly love Christ in that it is pardoned and depend upon him to subdue it and that we might not scorne nor insult over any poore sinâ— weakned ones but restore them with the spirit of meeknesse and that we may admire the more that rich grace of the Lord Jesus whereby notwithstanding all our provocations we have accesse unto the Father by him The Lords people are indeed taught by his spirit not to sinne that grace may abound but to love and to love with the more vehemency of affection the God of their incomprehensible mercy and to use all means against sinne and not to be over-pressed and sunk in despaire under it They also know that they are the more happy in that they were sinners else how could they be capable of union with God of mercy and heaven If there were not evil it would not be known what is good Justice and mercy had not beene known the wisdom of God could not have been known in drawing good out of evil or his love in sending the dearly beloved out of his bosom to die for us man had not come unto that happness in Christ which the Saints have and shal enjoy 3. God is never an enemy to his though they greatly sinne against him Wee are not beloved for our owne sakes nor for any thing in our selves but in Christ Who hath made us acceptable in the beloved Therefore nothing wee doe can cause God to love us more or lesse his love is as himselfe ever the same therfore a belivers hope joy and confidence is to bee ever the same in Christ Hence it is that such are alwayes to reioyce Reioyce alwayes Reioyce evermore Againe I say rejoyce Let them exceedingly rejoyce The joy of the Lord is our strength Oh there is enough in the Lord to satisfieâ— thee at all times he is an unchangeable object of true joy in him is all our hope and happinesse therefore let not thy fall cause thee to question the love of God unto thee thy salvation depends not upon thy repentance and holinesse See Rom. 9. 15 16. Isa 43 24 25. Ezek. 16. from 1. to ver 9. See also and mind what the Apostle saith in this case My little children these things write I unto you that you sinne not And if any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins c. These things are written unto us indeed that we sinne not But as for such as turne the grace of God into wantonnesse whom the mercies of God encourage in their sinful practise these are led by the spirit of the divell he is their father and his works they doe these are not at present in any wise to be numbred with those who through temptations and weaknesse are overtaken with the sin they hate if fallen be not out of hope If the Lords children have fallen into sinne they are to rise by faith Shal a man fall and not arise Who is a God like unto thee that pardonest the transgression of the remnant of thy people God subdues the corruption that is in his not all at once but by degrees and thereupon saith I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and iniquities I wil remember no more God hath nothing in charge against those who are in Christ and therefore commands us to goe boldly to the throne of grace in full assurance of faith If I were fitted with Qualifications as humblenesse brokennesse of heart c. and tooke delight in hearing and praying as others I could then entertaine hope that God hath thoughts of love and mercy towards me but it is not so with me Such an objection in some may be the product of the sweet operation of the Spirit of grace which hath shewed them some amiable and desirable thing in the precious promises and wayes of God so as they panâ— after them But more usually this is a whining because the worke of preparation is more sensible then the worke of
and that is for the soule to cleave to and depend upon God in Christ for life and salvation upon such places of Scriptures as these To live by faith in justification The Lord Jesus having spoken peace to the soule that he hath paid all for it and that its sins shall be remembred no more now the soule knowes its happy and enjoyes the comfort of it is filled with joy and peace in believing his life is a life of comfort beholding and enjoying Christs righteousnesse as his owne lives upon it whatsoever befals him he is comforted in his interest in the righteousnesse of Christ as sufficient to satisfie him at all times living upon such places of Scripture as these To live by faith in Sanctification which is twofold 1. For the soule to cleave unto Christ its sanctification Secondly for a Believer to cleave unto God in his promise to cleanse and renew his heart and life and to be a quickning Spirit in him To live by faith in Infirmities And that is for the soule to believe that God will be to us according to his owne gracious promise and Covenant for ever a God of love grace and mercy notwithstanding all our daily omissions and commissions excesses and defects according to that blessed word of his If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips c. He that lives by faith in infirmities may be thus characterized First he will hear Christ and not the voice of a stranger Secondly he is not offended at whatsoever Christ requires Thirdly the revealed will of God in the Scripture is his rule Fourthly he will trust God and rely upon his word he eyeth the promise and saith Surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength c. Fifthly he will contend for the truth Sixthly he will doe others good Seventhly his sin doth not sink him into dispair though he may have many doubtings yea he is not by any sinne or trouble reduced unto dispaire He will and indeed the weakest Believer ought in the midst of all his imperfections say I have as much of the love of God acceptation and perfect righteousnesse in Christ as the best Saint ever had my state is as happy as any of theirs And say with Habakkuk Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines The labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Such as live by faith in infirmities live upon Christ in his promise for strength against all infirmities in such places of Scripture as these In deadnesse of heart 35 Isa 5 6. If falne by passion not to sinke under it 5 James 17. 14 Acts 15. They relie upon God for ability to obey him and for fruitfulnesse in season 17 Jer. 8. 1 Psa 2 3. 92 Psa 13 14. 61 Isa 9. 62 Isa 12. Psa 84. 7. If they are under temptations they have a promise that no temptation shall be above their ability to beare and to have a good issue To live by faith for Protection and supply of all wants They who live by faith for these things relie upon Christ in such Scriptures as these are if in sicknesse 41 Psa 3. 103 Psa 3. to be hid in times of danger 3 Zeph. 16 17. v. for a supply of every thing we need 4 Phil. 6. 19. if in Prosperity 29 Jer. 5 6. till God see it good we shall meet with no change our condition may be changed indeeed but our God iâ— Jehovah that changes not 13 Heb. 5 6. If in adversity to be contented in a hard or low condition 13 Heb. 5. 18 Joh. 11. 4 Phil. 11. 12. it is appointed 1 Thes 3. 3. John 16. 33. Joh. 7. 30. Wee stand in need of such a condition if our need required it not our God that loves us would not afflict us with it 1 Pet. 1. 6. and the time cannot be long ere they shal be no more And they live upon Christ and his presence in times of trouble in such places of Scripture as these Psalm 91. 15. Psal 9. 9. Psal 37. 39. That the troubles shal not be too great Jer. 30. 11. and that they shall profit by them Heb. 12. 11. for deliverance out of them Job 5. 19. Psal 50. 15. for speedy deliverance Psal 31. 2. Psal 69. 17. Isaiah 58. 8. To live by faith in glorification Which is by the eye of faith to behold hold the rest joy peace and perfect happinesse which is provided for us in heaven firmly believing that God will after this life give us all those things with himselfe which hee hath promised his For the resurrection of my body 1 Thes 4. 16. To have a spiritual body 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. To have a glorified body Phil. 3. 21. The Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as the bodies of the Saints shall be because the Sunne is but a naturall body To have fulnesse of knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. To have fulnesse of joy and pleasure Psal 16. 11. Such as shall be internall pure full spiritual and eternal no miserie hunger cold nakednesse paine griefe nor wearinesse but rest without labour 2 Thes 1. 7. In rest tranquillity in tranquillity contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security eternity To see the Lord as he is 1 John 3. 1 2. 1 Cor. 13 12. To behold his glory John 17. 24 with him in glory Col. 3. 4. And to be changed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. To have fulnesse of communion with God Ephes 3. 19. Sight is a degree higher then presence union then sight communion then union and full communion is more Wee shall have as much of God as we can desire be filled with him and enjoy the Quintessence of all sweetnesse fulnesse and goodnesse in God yea we shall be raised inflamed and ravished with him in admiration of the perfection of his beauties and this shall coninue without intermission or wearinesse this is our Summum bonum our chiefest good and the end of our being viz. To be for ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4 17. and enjoy the things which eye hath not seene neither ear heard neither came into mans heart to conceive which God hath prepared for